Published 13:30 IST, February 18th 2020
Prashant Kishor takes a dig at Modi-Shah, claims CM Nitish taking "orders from Gujarat"
Taking a dig on JDU and BJP alliance, poll strategist Prashant Kishor slammed CM Nitish Kumar for standing with "Godse supporters."
- India News
- 3 min read
Taking a dig on JDU and BJP alliance, poll strategist Prashant Kishor slammed CM Nitish Kumar for standing with "Godse supporters." Slamming the Modi-Shah duo a number of times during his announcement, Kishor went on to say that 'Twitter is not a luxury' that only "Gujarat people" can use. Maintaining that Bihar has developed under Kumar, but the rate has slowed down over the span of 15 years, he asked why Kumar is allying with those who are not focussed on the development in Bihar.
He said: "Nitish has maintained that we cannot leave Gandhi, JP, Lohia, but how are you standing with Godse supporters. Secondly, I have a problem with JDU's positioning in the NDA. There is a huge difference between Nitish of 2014 with 2MPs and Nitish who is being directed by Gujarat leaders."
He went on to add that Nitish Kumar is currently taking orders from Gujarat. "It is not cool for me if a Gujarat man tells that Nitish will be our leader. Nitish is not a manager, we don't need someone from Gujarat to depute him as our leader, that right is only with the people of Bihar. Nitish Kumar does not need an endorsement from Amit Shah and he does not need any alliance to get love from Bihar people. No one is there to tell Nitish ji that his governance has laxities. Why comparing with Lalu's Bihar, compare with Karnataka, Gujarat?"
Prashant Kishor and Bihar
Kishor was inducted as the vice president of Kumar led- JDU in September 2018. Nitish Kumar had said that he was inducted in the party on the advice of then BJP chief Amit Shah, a claim outrightly rejected by Kishor. However, Kishor was reportedly snubbed by the Modi-Shah duo after the 2014 general elections.
Kishor has in his media address on Tuesday opened up on his role as a poll strategist of BJP, in 2014. He has clarified that IPAC was formed in 2015 and after that he has worked with the parties against BJP or NDA. However, he did not clarify why he joined JDU.
Earlier, Kishor had worked for Mahagathbandhan in 2015. Even as he held the post of JDU VP, his team IPAC worked for Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra. He was then roped in by Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi, MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu.
After the Central government passed the contentious citizenship amendment act in December, Kishor openly spoke against the BJP. He not only questioned the former BJP chief Amit Shah but went on submit his resignation, which sources said was rejected by Nitish Kumar. However, after warning Kishor for his anti-party statements, Kumar finally expelled him from the party. On Tuesday, with the victory of AAP in the Delhi polls, Kishor has added another feather to his victory feat as a poll strategist.
Updated 13:30 IST, February 18th 2020